Crispy Rhubarb Lemon Chicken Bake {Paleo} (2024)

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Made with a sweet and tangy marinade, this Crispy Rhubarb Lemon Chicken Bake is an easy one pan meal! Add crispy rhubarb shavings on top of this lemon chicken recipe for extra flavor and texture! Perfect to serve with your favorite sides for a nourishing meal you’ll love!

Ready for Rhubarb

You guys, I almost missed out on rhubarb’s peak season! At its best from April to June, it’s all the rage and truly delicious when it’s in season. Often categorized as a fruit, it’s pretty much perfect. In my opinion, at least. In fact, if I were a vegetable, I would want to be rhubarb! Hear me out. It’s trendy, only works 3 months out of the year, pretty in pink, sweet and savory, healthy, and sassy. Okay, I added the sassy part, but don’t you think it’s true? I can hear it saying, “Hey, I’m a pink plant stalk. I DO WONDERS with flavors! Am I sweet or sour or both? Oh I am ALL all that and a bag of chips!” Ya Rhubarb, you are that rad.

Okay, despite my weirdly prophetic obsession with this produce, I do actually have a purpose with this post. Promise! You see, this rhubarb chicken is a longtime favorite scrappy chef Cotter recipe. It’s resourceful yet daringly trendy. Or, that’s what we’re going with, mkay?

Is Rhubarb Good for You? …Spoiler Alert, It Is!

We already mentioned that this Crispy Rhubarb Lemon Chicken Bake is naturally Paleo. However, this chicken recipe involves using ALL parts of the rhubarb. Except for the leaves. Don’t eat the leaves. However, the stalk is fair game, and you definitely don’t want to miss out on all the nourishment coming from that pink stem! For instance, it’s loaded with vitamins and minerals like:

Calcium

Potassium

Manganese

Magnesium

Vitamin C

Vitamin K

B Vitamins
And so much more!

Plus, it’s a great source of fiber and protein. It’s even great for digestion. Whoa! Hmm, maybe that’s why they put rhubarb in strawberry pie? You’re going to need that extra digestion boost post pie consumption, but I digress. The point is, rhubarb is something to rave about!

What You’ll Need for this Rhubarb & Lemon Chicken Recipe

Today’s lemon chicken bake recipe is all about tangy, sweet, and savory flavors. To accomplish the bold taste, this chicken bake is made with a variety of flavorful ingredients including:

Balsamic Dressing

BBQ Sauce

Garlic Cloves

Rhubarb Stalks

Maple Syrup

Lemon

Skinless, Boneless Chicken Thighs

Olive Oil
Pearled Onions

Oh! Don’t forget the crispy rhubarb savings, either! Peeled and baked veggie skins make awesome snacks or toppings, but they’re also the perfect way to add both flavor and texture to chicken and rhubarb!

Basically, what I’m saying is that this is one SUPER nourishing protein packed meal ya’ll!

Let’s Shake & Chicken Bake – How to Make a Rhubarb Chicken

Now, I know what you’re thinking…um…Lindsay, a rhubarb marinade? You crazy Cotter you! I admit, I am crazy, but trust me. It works! Given that rhubarb has a sour acidic taste, it pairs perfectly with sweet tangy food. I’ll show you how below!

How to Make a Lemony Rhubarb Chicken

Prepare the Rhubarb. Before you begin, you’ll want to clean the rhubarb and shave the stalks with a vegetable peeler. But, be sure to keep the shavings for later!
Boil. Add the marinade and chicken thighs to a skillet with oil, and bring the marinade to a quick boil. Then, shut off the heat immediately. This helps the edges caramelize and enhances the flavor of your rhubarb chicken.
Bake. Let the chicken thighs bake in the oven at 375° F for 20-25 minutes. In the meantime, season the rhubarb shavings you saved. Then, transfer them to the oven with the chicken for 15 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Common Questions

Can I make this rhubarb & lemon chicken recipe ahead of time?

Yes! Store leftover rhubarb chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or, freeze it for up to 3 months.

Does this marinade work with other types of meat?

Crispy Rhubarb Lemon Chicken Bake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 4 reviews

Author: Lindsay Cotter
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 5

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Description

This Lemon Chicken Bake makes an easy one pan meal! A tangy rhubarb marinade caramelizes the chicken. Lemon and crispy Rhubarb shavings to top! Gluten free and Paleo friendly.

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Clean the rhubarb stalks, and trim the ends.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the red skin of the rhubarb to create shavings. (See blog post.) Set the shavings aside.
Place 2-3 small rhubarb stalks, BBQ sauce, balsamic dressing, maple syrup, and seasonings in a blender. Pulse until creamy.
Clean and trim the chicken thighs. Set the chicken aside.
Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to an oven-safe or cast iron skillet. (A Dutch oven can be used as well.)
Add the marinade and chicken thighs to the skillet. Squeeze lemon juice on top.
Bring the marinade to a quick boil. Reduce the heat or turn it off completely when the edges begin to to caramelize on the pan.
Flip the chicken thighs over, and place lemon slices on top of each thigh.
Add 1 cup of peeled pearled onions to the skillet. Drizzle them with olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the skillet to the oven, and bake at 375° F for 10 minutes.
While the chicken is baking, season the rhubarb shavings with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon garlic or lemon pepper, if using.
Add the shavings to the skillet with the chicken. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing the shavings halfway through. Thinner shavings will cook faster.
Once the chicken and rhubarb shavings are fully cooked and crispy, remove the skillet from the oven.
Add more marinade on top of the chicken, and top each thigh with the rhubarb shavings.
Add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with fresh thyme to garnish.
Serve with pearled onions.

Notes

Feel free to add in any other veggies while the chicken is baking, too. Just place them on another pan with olive oil. I used broccolini.

The thicker rhubarb shavings will take longer to get crispy. So, check on them after 10 minutes of baking. If the shavings are thin, they will get crispy in less than 15 minutes.

NUTRITION shown is for one chicken thigh with marinade sauce, onion, and crispy rhubarb.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: main, dinner
Method: oven
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 thigh
Calories: 262
Sugar: 11.4g
Sodium: 453mg
Fat: 11.2g
Saturated Fat: 2.8g
Carbohydrates: 17.5g
Fiber: 0.7g
Protein: 23.4g
Cholesterol: 102mg

Next add yourlemon slices to your chicken and pop itin oven for just 20 minutes. BUT WAIT!!!! Here’s the EPIC part ya’ll. Take those shavings, toss in oil, pepper, garlic, salt, and place on baking sheet in oven (with the chicken) and bake the last 10-15 minutes with the chicken. They should get crispy! I added veggies in the oven while it was all cooking too. Saving time. Per usual. Anyway, the crispy rhubarb shavings totally make the dish. You top your lemon chicken bake with them and dig it. Like whoa.. so so fun and tasty!

You see, rhubarb really is abadass. Itmakes a chicken bake look like a rockstar. In my honest opinion.

P.S if you are watchingyour diet for oxalatecontaining foods, then cooking rhubarb may reduce its oxalate content. Sorry, nerdy nutrition note. Had to.

p.p.s why is so hard to spell Rhubarb? That and frittata. Gah.. Ialways mess up. Thank goodness for spell check!

Favorite rhubarb recipe? Ever baked it with chicken? Do share!

Cheers!